Michael Manring, one of my favorite bass players. From the Bay area playing with a lot of those guys (Primus guys, Alex Skolnick, Scott McGill, etc). Not sure what he's been up to lately. Crazy technique, but ALWAYS were a great sense of melody and rhythm.

"Thonk" is pretty great. I haven't heard "Unusual Weather". I had "Drastic Measures" (but can't seem to find it) -- the lattermost had a ridiculously impossible "Purple Haze". But I ended up just playing it for people to impress them, since I didn't much like the album as a whole.

The Manring contributions to McGill-Manring-Stevens' "Controlled by Radar" are mindblowing. The record itself is good, pretty abstract at times. McGill is one of the most technically astonishing guitarists I've heard, but he can be alienating.

I haven't heard the Manring stuff with Alex Skolnick - Attention Deficit, they called themselves. I oughta look for that....

I remember that dog... from Tower Records even, when I didn't buy it. I've been wanting to hear that record forever, and do I learn? Youtube will eventually have everything. Thanks for pointing that out, Jimmy! I'm not finding time this morning (it's before work, now), but will get to that very soon. Can't believe how easy it is.

And the album I had that now can't find? All on youtube. Most of it is too new age. But here's something I played for the unsuspecting every so often. No overdubs.... the youtube caption says "solo bass" but I think it's solo two basses. Or duet bass with one player. Or something. That's from memory. This is just... what a freaking show off. That is all.

I finally got to listen to all of the Attention Defecit stuff...WOW that is some really, great stuff. Probably the best of the "jam" band stuff I've heard (LTE, etc). By far the best Alex Skolnick stuff I've heard.

I just got through most of it, myself... Actually I just got home from the airport and put it on. I fell asleep in the middle, which I don't know (seriously) if it's a reflection on the music or just me being tired. I liked the second-to-last tune a lot, which is the heaviest thing I was awake for. The last tune it really fun/cool idea that doesn't develop into a tune, and I wish it did.

I always like Skolnick, even when I didn't like the whole tunes (or even when I didn't like the idea of doing a "jazz" verision of Detroid Rock City and Highway Star). Even when I got Testament and Steel Prophet confused and I thought you (jman) were him! (Sorry!)

The first tune on the Attention Deficit I dug. THe next-to-last tune I dug more. The second tune I didn't, so much, and a lot of the rest is a blur. I have to go at it again. I think I like the Manring stuff with McGill more, overall, is my biggest impression so far. But I'm not altogether sure, and if I do, that's no put-down. I like "Controlled by Radar" a whole bunch.

Well... it turns out "Controlled by Radar" is on Grooveshark. Not on youtube, but you can hear audio, if you want to contrast the music Manring did with McGill vs. what he did with Skolnick.

Here's one more bass-heavy track from CD1 - http://grooveshark.com/#!/search?q=In+Walked+Bogus+Boy

You can just search "McGill Manring Stevens" on Grooveshark and find the whole album. It was a 2 cd set, the second is acoustic (or "pretty much" so), the first electric. I think it's uneven but some really good stuff, and all three guys play their butts off.

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